DOJ confidential funds ballooned to P1.5B in 2025, lawmaker asks why
The Department of Justice (DOJ) received P1.5 billion in confidential funds in 2025, a nearly tenfold increase from the previous year, and lawmakers want to know what happened.
During budget deliberations at the House of Representatives on Monday, August 24, ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio questioned DOJ officials about the sudden surge. The confidential funds grew from P168 million in 2024 to P1.5 billion in 2025, a jump that Tinio called suspicious.
“Ano'ng kababalaghan ang nangyari sa 2025 na lumobo nang sampung beses ang confidential funds ninyo?” Tinio asked in Filipino. (What mystery happened in 2025 that your confidential funds ballooned 10 times?)
Confidential funds are used for surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that support their mandate or operations. They are different from intelligence funds, which the DOJ does not receive because it is a civilian agency.
Where did the P1.5 billion go?
Acting DOJ Secretary Fredderick Vida gave the breakdown of the 2025 confidential funds. The Office of the Secretary received the lion's share.
- P1.184 billion: Office of the Secretary
- P319 million: Witness Protection Program
- P15 million: Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking
- P5 million: National Coordination Center Against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children
- P475,000: Office of Cybercrime
The Office of the Secretary alone got almost 79 percent of the entire confidential fund allocation.
Tinio asked if the agency was able to spend all the money. Vida said yes, citing records.
“Base po sa records namin, opo (Based on our records, yes). Fully obligated and liquidated,” Vida responded.
When pressed on how the funds were disbursed, Vida explained that all activities were covered under the allocation. He noted that then-secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, now the Ombudsman, was at the helm during that period.
“Dito po nakapaloob ang lahat ng activities. Of course, no'ng panahong pong 'to, si Ombudsman, then-secretary Boying Remulla pa ang secretary. Pero base sa record namin, ito po lahat ay disbursed and liquidated pursuant to the COA (Commission on Audit) circular,” Vida said.
(All of our activities are included in the funds. Of course, during that time, Ombudsman Boying Remulla was the secretary. But based on our records, all of the funds have been disbursed and liquidated pursuant to the COA circular.)
A busy year for the DOJ
The 2025 confidential fund spike came during a turbulent period for the DOJ and its attached agencies. The department handled several high-profile cases that year.
These included former president Rodrigo Duterte's case at the International Criminal Court and the investigation into the missing sabungeros. The DOJ also managed the repatriation of former lawmaker Arnie Teves from Timor-Leste in 2025 to face charges related to the assassination of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.
The confidential funds were cut to P729 million in 2026, less than half of the 2025 level. For 2027, the DOJ is requesting P364 million in confidential funds as part of its P46.435-billion budget proposal.
The proposed budget amounts to about 0.65 percent of the P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
How are confidential funds audited?
Confidential and intelligence funds are subject to audit despite their secretive nature. The Commission on Audit's Joint Circular No. 2015-01 provides the auditing guidelines for these funds.
Government agencies have faced scrutiny over confidential fund spending in recent years. The DOJ's explanation that all funds were disbursed and liquidated according to COA rules may not fully satisfy critics who question the scale of the increase.
The 2022 budget was prepared under former president Rodrigo Duterte's administration. The Marcos government began preparing the budget from 2022 onwards, and Remulla served as DOJ secretary from 2022 until his appointment to the Office of the Ombudsman in October 2025.
What happens next?
The House deliberations will continue as lawmakers scrutinize the DOJ's proposed 2027 budget. The confidential fund question is likely to remain a point of contention, especially given the significant year-to-year fluctuations.
For now, the DOJ maintains that its spending was lawful and properly documented. But the nearly tenfold increase from 2024 to 2025 raises questions that may not be fully answered by budget hearings alone.